Research
Adherence
Adopting flexible cognitive restraint (a graduated approach to eating) and reducing emotional eating are critical mediators for achieving 12-month weight loss, whereas maintaining weight loss at 24 months requires high exercise self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation.
To lose weight, focus on flexible dietary restraint (eating moderately without strict rules) and reducing emotional eating. To keep it off, prioritize exercise that you enjoy and believe you can sustain, rather than just forcing yourself through barriers.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Results show that lowering emotional eating and adopting a flexible dietary restraint pattern are critical for sustained weight loss. For long-term success, interventions must also be effective in promoting exercise intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with a large sample (N=225) and long-term follow-up (24 months).
Source
Mediators of Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance in Middle‐aged Women
Pedro J. Teixeira et al. · Obesity · 2009
DOI 10.1038/oby.2009.281
rct · n=225Cited 405×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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